The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-12-09
his assistants. he exchanged q quick

his assistants, he exchanged q quick
sign with the executioner.
The toilet was soon over. It was
noticed that the p 4enomenon Of the hair
Yisibly whitening under the scissors did
cot take place. La Pommerais refused
the customary glass Of brandy, and the
escort took the way through the corri-
dor. On reaching the gate the prisoner,
meeting his medical colleague upon the
threshold, whispered: "In q little while
we shall see. Good-byei"
Suddenly the vast iron folding-doora
opened and rolled back before him.
The morning wind entered the prison;
it was already dawn; far of extended
the great square, surrounded by adouble
line of cavalry in front only ten PAGES
off, toward the scaffold, surrounded by
q semicircle Of gendarmes whose sabers
were drawn with a simultaneous clash
as the prisoner appeared. Further be-
hind the trees could be heard the stormy
murmuring OF the crowd. Swallows
were flying in the early morning over
the square The guillotine
seemed to fling to the very horizon the
shadow Gifts two uplifted arms, between
which, very far away, high up in the
blueness Of dawn, were visible the last
scintillations of the last star.
The five persons present appeared in
silhouette upon the scatfold; at that in
slant, so profound was the silence, that
the sound of a branch breaking far
away under the weight Of a curious
spectator, came clearly to the ears Of
the tragical group, together with the
outcry ofthe falling man and some hide
Gus laughter. D.. de lie Pommerais OBJ
served on the other side his strange
experimenter, who was watching him
ixedly as he stood with one hand upon
the platform. La Pommerais col
leeted himself a moment and closed his
eyes.
Suddenly the weight moved-the
carcan was lowered-the bottom YIELD
ed-the fash Of the knife passed. A
terrible shock shook the platform, the
horses reared at the electric odor, of
blood, and the sound was still vibrat-
ing when the CORY head of the victim
was already in the surgeons impassiye
hands-reddened his fingers, his cuffs,
his clothes, with the gushing of blood.
It was a somber face, hideously pale;
with eyes wide open as in q trance,
knitted brows, a death-grin frozen on
the lips, teeth clenched; the chin, at
the extremity of the lower m%axillary,
had been touched.
Velpeau bent down and whispered
into the right ear of the head the ques-
ton agreed upon. Firm as were the
surgeons nerves, the result caused him
to start with a sort Of chilly fear; the
lid of the right eye closed, the left eye,
widely open, stared at him.
I'm the name of God and humanity,
repeat that sign twice" cried Velpeau,
almost wildly.
The eyelids parted, as under the i'm
pulse of q supreme Internal effort; but
the lid did not rise again. Second by
second the face became more rigid, more
icy-motionless. All was over. DIR.
Velpeau gave back the dead head to Mr..
Hendreich, who according to custom,
placed between the already Eh
EGGS of the corpse in the basket.
The great surgeon washed his hands
in one of The buckets filled for the
scrubbing if the scaffoId. All about
him the crowd was ebbing away,
thoughtfully-none had recognized him.
He wiped his hands in silence. Then
with slow step and pensive brow, he
regained the carriage in waiting for him
at the corner Of the prison. As he got
into it he perceived the executioner's
wagon moving at a rapid trot in the
direction of Montparrasse.